Seventh-day Adventists do not believe in verbal inspiration (the idea that
God dictates the exact wording to the prophet). With the exception of the Ten
Commandments, all the inspired writings are the result of the combined efforts
of the Holy Spirit, who inspires the prophet with a vision, an impression, a
counsel, or a judgment; and the prophet, who begins to look for sentences,
literary figures, and expressions to convey God's message accurately.
God gives the prophet freedom to select the kind of language he or she wants
to use. That accounts for the different styles of the Biblical writers and
explains why Ellen White describes the language used by inspired writers as "imperfect"
and "human."
Because "everything that is human is imperfect,"[14]
we must accept the idea of imperfections and mistakes in both the Bible and
Ellen White's writings. This means at least two things: 1. The prophet uses his
or her common, everyday language learned from childhood and improved through
study, reading, and travel; there is nothing supernatural or divine in the
language used. 2. The prophet can make orthographical or grammatical mistakes,
as well as other kinds of language imperfections such as lapsus linguae
(a slip of the tongue) or lapsus memoriae (a slip of the memory), which
need to be corrected by an editor before the text is ready for publication. The
editor corrects not the inspired message, but rather the noninspired language.
We find a lapsus linguae in Matthew's Gospel, when he quotes
Zechariah but mentions Jeremiah in connection with the 30 pieces of silver
(Matt. 27:9, 10; Zech. 11:12, 13; Jer. 32:6-9). For a person who believes in
verbal inspiration, this raises serious questions; but for those who accept that
the Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, this illustrates how the
divine message reaches us through an imperfect language.
The following statement of Ellen White, when she quotes Paul but mentions
Peter, is similar: ."The love of Christ constraineth us," the apostle
Peter declared. This was the motive that impelled the zealous disciple in his
arduous labors in the cause of the gospel."[15]
[p. 28] Fortunately, we have enough evidence in the Bible, as well as in the
history of the Advent movement, to show us that the Holy Spirit always corrected
His messengers in matters important to the church.
The Lord surprises us with His marvelous and sometimes strange ways. In
communicating with His people, He has selected human beings, dedicated but
faulty, using an imperfect human language, as His instruments to convey His
message. We must be grateful to our heavenly Father that He did not select a "superhuman"
language understood by only a few select persons, but chose to use our own
imperfect, common way of seeing and understanding things.
In accepting His ways, we also must be careful not to confuse the content
with the container. We must not discard the "treasure" inside just
because the "vessel" is imperfect and sometimes unworthy.[16]
[14] Selected
Messages, book 1, pp. 20, 21.
[15] Review and
Herald, Oct. 30, 1913; see Paul's statement in 2 Cor. 5:14.
[16] See Selected
Messages, book 1, p. 26.
Juan Carlos Viera, D.Miss., Ellen G. White
Estate.